Portable telephone.



W. A. SHIMER.

PORTABLE TELEPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .3. 1905.

2-SHEETSSHEET 1.

' E I 66568. 5) fizazwfizz fizjl/w' 3929.25" 22 15 1 20 No. 821,753PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. W. A. SHIMER.

PORTABLE TELEPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.3.1905.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Waywa- Wlbw,

'panyin pointe out in the appended claims, it being UNITED STATES WILL'A.- SHIMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE TELEPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed October 3.1905. Serial No. 281,166.

' ratus.

One object of the invention is to provide a desk-phone embodying suchcharacteristics that it maybe rendered portable to permit the shiftingof the phone, includin the receiver and transmitter mechanism, from oneplace to another without placing strain upon the conductor-cord while inuse.

Another object resides in the provision of a desk-telelphone constructedandarranged to permit t e movement of the phone and its conductor-cordaway from its fastening difflerent distances within a predeterminedraius.

A still further object is to provide a desktelephone of such nature thatit and its conductor-cord may be shifted from one place to another andso constructed, arranged, and associated with each other that theconductor-cord may be automatically wound within the base of theinstrument and locked automatically againstwinding therein, according tothe disposition of the phone-receiver.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accomdrawings, and more particularlyunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor detailsmay be made within the scope of theclaims without de parting'from t espirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of adesk-telephone, illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom planview. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thereference character 1 designates a bell-shaped or other form of baseprovided with a hollow post 2, at the u per end of which latter ismounted the usual orm of transmitter 3. The receiver-hook 4 is of theusual form and pivotally mounted with respect-to the post in the samemanner as is common with all devices of this character.

' Arranged within the base 1 is an inductioncoil 5, which is held inproper position by means of a suitable bracket 6, secured to the freeend of the post 7, dependin from the top of the post off from one side 0the aforesaid hollow post 2. Disposed parallel with the induction-coil 5is a non-insulating shelf '8, associated with which latter are a numberThis non-mof any form of binding-posts 9. sulating shelf 8 is supportedwithin the base 1 by means of posts 9*, depending from the top of thelatter, and the said binding-posts have associated therewith and withthe inductioncoil suitable conductor-cords a. As these are minorfeatures of the invention and the features themselves are common in theart, except as re ards the particular disposition thereof, I believethat further description is unnecessary. p

Extending across and within the base 1 is a metallic bar 10,providedintermediateitsend with a perforation 11. This perforation 11 isadapted to receive the reduced end 12 of a rotatable shaft 13 of aspring-actuated reel 14, and the said reduced end 12 of this shaft isadapted to contact with the aforesaid bracket 6 with the opposite end ofthe shaft fixedly mounted at the point of intersection of the metallicbars of stri s15 and 16, which cross eadlr other interme iate theirends. If preferred, a solid plate (not shown) could be usedinstead ofthe said strips 15 and 16. The reel just alluded to consists of u (perand lower disks 17 and-18, which are hel in spaced relation by a springinclosing band 19, which is of such cross-sectional diameter as, to lieconsiderably within the peripheries of the said disks, the said band 19being held in the manner stated through the instrumentality ofconnecting-posts 20, arranged exteriorly thereof. The lower disk 18 isin spaced relation with the aforesaid cross bars or strips 15 and '16,there being a spacing member 21 therebetween. The periphery of thislower disk 18 is smooth and, with the aforesaid cross bars or strips 15and 16, serves as the bottom of the base 1, the opposite bent ends d ofthe crossing bars or strips 15 and 16 having screw-threaded perforationsfor the reception of screws 6, passed through the lower TCO edge of thebase to hold the strips and reel in proper position with reference tothe base.

Mounted in any suitable manner upon the upper face of the upper disk 17of the reel 14 are brass or other rings 23 and 24, which surround theupper end of the aforesaid shaft 13 in spaced relation thereto andtothemselves.

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I These rings are designed to have engagement with the free bent ends I)of the contact-fingers 25 and 26, respectively, which latter are 7secured in any suitable nianner to the aforesaidbar 10 and insulatedtherefrom by means of the non-conducting material 27. These fingers and26 are of spring material and fixedly secured at one of their ends bysuitable binding-posts 28 to the said bar 10, and

these posts 28 are connected up in any suit,

able manner with the aforesaid conductorcords within the base.

It has been stated in the foregoing that the reel 14 is aspring-actuated one, and reference to the drawings will disclose that ahelical winding-spring-29 has one of its ends fixedly connected to theaforesaid shaft 13, with its opposite end fixedly connected .to theinner face of the aforesaid spring inclosingband. The springinclosing-bandhas secured in any suitable manner to its upper face theconductor-cord 30, which latter asses through the'insulated opening 0 ofthe ase 1 and has its branched ends connected to the framework 31 of theapparatus .by means of suitable binding-posts 32. spring 29 theconductor-cord 30 is normally held within the base between the band 19and the disks 17 and-18. ductor-cord 30 is of such length as to permitthe phone to be moved from close proximity to the fixed framework 3.1toa distancesay, for instance, of twenty-five feet, more or less.Therefore if it should be desired to move the phone from onedesk toanother or to a distant art of an office or other room it would simp ybe necessary to asp the post'2 and carry the phone to said istant point,as may "be desired, such movement of the phone wardly through the hollowpost 2 and terminates within the base 1. In other words, the

rod 35 is pivotally connected at its upper endto the receiver-hook 4 andat its lower end pivotally connected to an angular rocking lever 36,mounted between the legs 37 and 38 of the bracket 39, whose opposite end40 is bent outwardly from engagement with the interior of the base andthen downwardly and provided with an eye 41 to form a guide for thesliding movement of the arm 42, which has one of its ends pivotallyconnected, as at 43, to the aforesaid rocking lever 36,

By reason of the However, the con' When with its opposite end arrangedfor engagement with the outer free end of the spring- 4 dog 44, whichlatter has one of its ends fix edly connected to the interior of thebase 1. Now since the spring-dog 44 is normally in engagement with theteeth 22'ofthe upper disk 17 the reel is held against backward movement.Obviously the lower disk could have teeth in its periphery instead ofthe upper disk. However, just as soon as the receiver is placed u on thereceiver-hook 4 the latter is pressed ownwardly, thereby drawing the rod35 upwardly and throwing the arm 42 against the free end of thespring-dog 44, whereby the latter is'moved out of engagement with theteeth 22 of the disk 17,

permitting of a rewinding of the conductorcord 30 as the result of theaction of the helical spring 29. Of course the .spring 29 is not of suchtension as to pull the phone from 0d a desk in the event that it wasnotdesired" to return the phone, immediately toward the framework 31'.

The operation of the reel in the manner stated and theconsequentlengthening of the conductor-coil 30 is one of the essential features ofmy invention; but there is another noted that Iprovide aliningperforations 46 and 47 in the upper and lower disks 17 and 18,respectively, for the insertion'of any suitable element, (not shown,)which latter when inserted will prevent accidental unwinding of thespring by reason of the engagement of I the crossing bars or stripstherewith. Another essential feature of my. invention resides in thefact that the conductor-cordwill not become twisted, as dotheconductorcords of the present arrangement ofdeskphones.

What is claimed is- '1. In combination with. telephone apparathe upperend of the post and having one end tus, a hollow base, a post mountedupon the base, a,receiver-hook pivotally mounted at.

extending into the post, areel mounted in saidbase for rotation therein,a conductorcord passed into the base and connected to said reel, saidcord being unwound from the reel upon movement of the base, means forpreventing backward movement of the reel when-rotated by movement of thebase, and

means connected with the receiver-hook to release the reel and permitthe reverse movement of the latter upon placin the receiver of theapparatusupon the said 100k.

2. A desk-telephone attachment, comprising a hollow base and post,areceiver-hook pivotally mounted upon the post, a sprin actuated reelwithin said base, the reel inclu ing upper and lower disks, one of thedisks having a,toothed periphery, a conductorcord passed into the baseand connected to the reelwhereby the latter may be rotated against theaction of its spring by a pull upon said cord, a do arranged within thebase to en age the teet of the upper disk to hold the ree againstbackward movement to relieve said cord of strain when pulled outwardlyof the base, and a connection between the receiver-hook' and the basefor engagement with the said dog to release it from engagement with thetoothed edge of the upper disk and permit winding of the reel.

3. A desk-telephone attachment comprising a hollow base and standard, aspring-actuated reel arranged within the base, a receiver-hook mountedat the upper end of the standard and extending into the latter, aconductor-cord passing into the base and connecting with the said reelwhereby the latter may be rotated by a pull upon said cord to move theattachment from one place to another, means engaging the reel to hold itagainst backward movement when rotated by a pull upon the cord, aconnection between the receiver-hook and the base of the attachment forenga ement with the said reel, and means adapte for engagement with theholding means to disengage it from the reel to permit backward movementof the latter.

4. A. desk-telephone attachment comprising a hollow base and standard, areceiverhook for the support of a receiver, a conduc tor-cord passinginto the base and secured therein to permit shortening or lengthening ofthe cord, a rod connected with the receiverhook and arranged within thebase and standard, and a connection between the rod and the cord torelieve the latter of strain and .prevent twisting thereofwhen pulledoutwardly of the base.

5. A desk-telephone attachment comprising a hollow base and standard, aninductionco1l mounted within the base, a shelf mounted within the basein alinement with'the induction-coil, a reel mounted within the basebeneath the induction-coil and shelf, elec trical conductor-cordsconnectin the induction-coil and shelf, conductor e ements between thereel and shelf, said reel including upper and lower disks, one of thedisks having a toothed periphery, a conductor-cord passed into the baseand engaged with the reel whereby the latter may be rotated in onedirection by exerting a pull upon the conductor-cord, a dog engagin thetoothed periphery of one of the said isks to hold the reel againstbackward movement when rotated by exertin' a ull upon the last-namedcord, a receiverooli pivotally mounted upon said standard, and a rodconnected with said hook and having its lower end arranged forengagement with said dog to permit backward movement of the reel upon adownward movement of said hook.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

WILL A. SHIMER. Witnesses:

Tnos. J. KEENAN, ARTHUR W. BRICE.

